Judge favorably inclined toward deal in Warner digital download case

January 8, 2015 – Partner David Given appeared today before Federal District Judge Richard Seeborg in support of the settlement made between a group of recording artists and Warner Music Group in a class case initiated over the treatment of monies derived from digital downloads and ringtones. The settlement, concluded following intense negotiations between a team of lawyers representing the record label and PEG&C and the other lead law firms representing the artists, provided an $11.5 million fund for pre-digital age artists to make a claim for past amounts based on their download activity together with an uplift in the royalty rate paid to artists by WMG on download income. At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Seeborg said he found the settlement fair, adequate and reasonable and indicated that he would approve it; an order is pending.

UPDATE – January 12, 2015 – Judge Seeborg entered his order today giving final approval to the settlement of this class action. In a related order entered the same day, Judge Seeborg approved the request for reimbursement of costs and payment of attorneys' fees to class counsel, complimenting the firm's "skillful handling of the difficult factual and legal issues presented...and the quality of the result achieved," in the case.